Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities, #4)(152)

Greyfell looked far less excited. Sophie could see the tension twitching in every muscle of his body. And his blue-tipped wings kept flapping nervously.

It’s okay, Sophie transmitted. Trust. Friend.

Greyfell whinnied, but he kept right on twitching. Silveny, meanwhile, had switched to nuzzling Keefe, and had finally coaxed a real smile out of him.

“Hey there, Glitterbutt,” he said. “Glad to know you missed me.”

KEEFE! KEEFE! KEEFE!

Sophie choked back a sob as she realized this could be the last time she ever saw Silveny. The alicorn could ignore her transmission, or fly so far away she couldn’t reach her, or . . . worse things she was trying very hard not to think about.

SAD? Silveny asked.

Yeah, Sophie admitted. But it’s going to be okay.

She willed the words to be true as she did her best to explain to Silveny and Greyfell what was about to happen. They didn’t seem to understand, until she told Jurek to untie the golden ropes, leaving the alicorns able to fly away if they wanted.

Free, Sophie told them. Fly free.

Silveny glanced back at the Sanctuary. STAY?

Sophie shook her head. You guys will be safer on your own.

STAY, Silveny repeated. SOPHIE. FRIEND.

Safe is more important, Sophie promised. You need to protect your baby.

The final word ended Silveny’s resistance.

Greyfell stretched his wings and stared at the grayish blue sky. It wasn’t as beautiful as the rainbow sky inside the Sanctuary, but it was the first real sky Greyfell had seen in decades. Sophie watched his brown eyes glint and knew she was making the right choice. The alicorns deserved to be free. They could take care of themselves.

She brushed her fingers down Silveny’s nose and patted Greyfell’s side. Better get going before the Council changes their minds.

Silveny nuzzled her again, releasing a whinny that broke Sophie’s heart. Then she flapped her wings and launched into the sky.

Greyfell followed immediately, and they circled above, climbing higher and higher with each rotation.

“Let’s hope this isn’t a mistake,” Councillor Terik murmured.

Sophie was making the same wish.

Keefe’s hand reached for hers, and together they watched the alicorns dive, racing toward the ground so fast they split the sky.

Right before they disappeared, Silveny transmitted, SOPHIE. FRIEND. ALWAYS.

But the best words were her last two: VISIT. SOON.





SEVENTY-SEVEN


SO WHAT NOW?” Keefe asked after the Councillors had leaped away and Jurek had closed the Sanctuary’s gates. “You off to Everglen to check on the Fitzter?”

“I thought I’d give them a little space.” She’d probably hail him later to make sure he was okay. But she knew they’d need some time. “This is a family thing, y’know?”

“I guess.” Keefe kicked a pile of snow, sending it scattering. “So you’re going back to Havenfield, then?”

“Yeah. Why, what are you up to?”

“Nothing,” he said—a little too quickly.

“So . . . do you want to come over, then?” she asked, fidgeting with the necklace he’d given her. “I thought I might try to make starkflower stew to give to Calla’s tree—and I know that sounds super exciting, but . . . you could make fun of me. And then you could stay for dinner, and—”

“Foster, you don’t have to take care of me.”

“Maybe I just like you,” she said—then realized how that sounded. “I’m just . . . worried about you.”

Keefe stepped closer. “I know. It’s one of the things I like about you.”

Her stomach filled with fluttering things, which flitted around even more when she noticed how close they were now standing. The toes of their boots were almost touching, and his breath felt warm on her cheeks.

Someone cleared their throat, reminding them they weren’t alone. When Sophie turned, she found Grady glaring and Edaline smiling that goofy smile again. She couldn’t decide which was worse.

“We’re heading home—” Grady started.

“But you don’t have to leave with us,” Edaline finished. “Just make sure you let us know where you are if you decide to go somewhere.”

Grady started to say something else, but Edaline created a path of light and whisked him away.

“That was weird,” Sophie mumbled, sure her face was bright red.

“Yeah,” Keefe said, his cheeks flushed too—but that was probably from the freezing wind.

“So you really don’t want to come over?” she asked. “Even for a little while?”

“I . . . can’t. But you should go to Dex’s. Or go hang with my buddy Bangs Boy.”

“Still refusing to call him Tam, huh?”

“Some things should never change.”

“What about you?” Sophie pressed, wondering why it seemed like he was trying to get rid of her. “Where are you going?”

“What makes you think I’m going anywhere?”

“I don’t know. You’re acting really weird. You keep avoiding the question—don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

“I’m fine,” he promised.

“That’s still not a real answer.”